Imports of agri-food products from Mercosur countries fell 13.3% year-on-year to about EUR 141 million in May 2026, narrowing Poland's trade deficit with the bloc, the ministry said. Exports to Mercosur nations rose to EUR 5.9 million from EUR 4.6 million a year earlier, led by bread, pastries, cakes, malt, chocolate and other cocoa-based products.
The ministry also said food safety checks on non-EU imports remain in place. The Agricultural and Food Quality Inspection (IJHARS) inspected more than 41,000 batches of goods from outside the EU between January and mid-June, including 1,931 from Mercosur countries.
"The services have effectively blocked products that did not meet standards by issuing bans on their marketing in Poland", the ministry said.
Agriculture Minister Stefan Krajewski reiterated Poland's opposition to the agreement in its current form, noting Poland was the only EU member state to challenge its adoption procedure before the Court of Justice of the European Union.
"The agriculture ministry is continuously monitoring the agreement's impact on the situation of Polish farmers and producers, and will take appropriate action if necessary", he said.
For all of 2025, Poland exported EUR 83.9 million euros of agri-food goods to Mercosur — 0.14% of its total agri-food exports — while importing EUR 1,713.2 million worth, or 4.4% of total imports, dominated by soybean meal, coffee, raw tobacco, peanuts and orange juice.
(jh)
Source: PAP